Discrimination between Races

Kelsey Morgan

Discrimination between Races

Kelsey Morgan

Slavery in America

Slavery started in America when the Europeans started the Triangular Trade. The Triangular Trade consisted of the countries: Europe, Africa, and the U.S. All three countries traded among the three of them. The slaves were brought to the U.S. on slave ships that had terrible living conditions. Many died from diseases they contracted between the other slaves. They did not get the proper food or water they needed. Many of the slaves died on their journey. The slaves that did survive were brought to America and sold in slave auctions. This is how slavery started in the U.S.

Once the slaves were sold to their new owners they were taken back to the owner's plantation. The slave had terrible living conditions and were treated brutally. The slave would wake up as soon as the sun rose until the sun went or later sometimes. They rarely got breaks and the food they were given was not enough to suffice their daily work ethics. The slaves lived in a house with their fellow slaves. If a slave was to show up late to work, did not do their job correctly, or anything else the master saw was unacceptable they were punished. Almost all of the time they would be whipped but there were other punishments just as severe. That is just the beginning of a slave's life.

It took 216 years for slavery to officially become illegal in the U.S. When slavery was coming to an end, it started controversy between the Northern and Southern states. This controversy started the rebellion of the Southern states and it also started the Civil War. Seven of the Southern states seceded, forming the Confederate States of America. The first state to secede was South Carolina. The states to follow were Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. These states and the rest of America had entered the Civil War. In the end, the North won after the South surrendered and rejoined the U.S.

Improving Race Relations

Today, there are still problems with tension between races. Although the Civil War ended slavery 150 years ago, many people are still not treating each other with equality. Many racial slurs are still said to people; some of the racial slurs they used during slavery. Some people refuse service or jobs to people of different races. Other times they are not as nice to those people if they have serve or work with them. Others just simply treat people of different races with no respect or are rude to them. This is just scratching the surface of the discrimination between races today.

People have unfortunately carried the legacy of slavery into our everyday lives. It is important we never forget what happened in the early years of America, so the past never repeats itself. This does not mean we keep up the treatment between races. We must work together to end the cruel treatment between people of different races. People are too stubborn to change their harsh and cruel ways of treatment towards others. Many of these feelings towards people of different races can possibly come from being passed down from relatives from the Civil War era or just being passed down from relatives who have bitter views of others.

There are many ways to improve race relations in America today. One idea I have is to add a talk show on race cruelty and discrimination as a weekly program. I think this would help solve problems between races by making it easier to talk about. Most people just brush off the topic and say they know not to discriminate, but they still do. By having a talk show once a week and seeing others, like celebrities, talk about this topic might make it easier to discuss and solve. It might make it easier for parents to teach their children not to discriminate. By adding a simple talk show might solve on of the major problems in the U.S.